How to Write a Reaction Paper Review

The skill of changing your audiences’ perspective is one of the most marketable talents in the world today. Whether you are involved in advertising, instructing, sales, law, or any other career dealing with other human beings, your power will come from your ability to make a difference in the way people around you think. Images and public speeches can leave a lasting impact, but writing has hands-down proven to serve as the most powerful medium for changing people’s minds.

A reaction paper is an individual’s conclusions drawn from a particular topic. Those conclusions, if interesting and persuasive, should lead readers to consider the topic differently. You wrote your own reaction paper about a book that everyone in class has read. Now, while everyone may have the same exposure to Things Fall Apart, your reaction paper is entirely based on your ability to process, analyze, and think. Writing is a reflection of thinking and this reaction paper will set your thoughts apart from all the others in class.

Unfortunately, one of the most difficult aspects of writing is clarity. Often, we don’t say what we ‘mean’ or ‘intend’ and our message is lost, our credibility shattered, and our audiences loses faith in our ability to think. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a good idea in your paper, but your idea might need help.

Read the anonymous reaction paper provided for you and assess the strengths and weaknesses of this argument. Critically analyze whether this paper provides enough evidence to offer a new thoughtful perspective. Then, in a one page min/max, construct a critical review of this paper which will ultimately demonstrate your ability to identify the power and fallacies of the writing in front of you.

Instructions:
  1. You may write all over this paper.
  2. This paper may have a number of areas that concern you, but since you are limited in page length, focus on helping this individual move up in the big categories.
  3. Look for logical fallacies, specifically begging the question.
  4. Stay professional and formal by referring to the owner as ‘the author’.
  5. Criticism does not mean negativism so cut to the point and know that your comments are directed towards the writing, not the individual.

Paper Rubric
Challenging Thesis Topic (Summaries are 0%) 10
Organized with Clear Structure 20
Argument is well supported and explained 40
Author puts time into intro, conclusion, high interest t.s., and c.s. 20
Mechanics do not interfere with even one sentence 10